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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24155290">Tough stuff for Tuff</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosMoe/pseuds/CosMoe'>CosMoe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tuff's stuff [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:00:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,163</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24155290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosMoe/pseuds/CosMoe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fishleg's younger sister Marigold has just confessed his love for Tuff.<br/>Now Tuff has to deal with it, which turns out to be not so pleasant for both.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tuffnut Thorston/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tuff's stuff [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1743160</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tough stuff for Tuff</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tuff had avoided this talk as long as he could, as long as it was decent, but now there was no way out for him.<br/>
He gulped and felt his heartbeat rise.<br/>
He knew it wasn't fair.</p><p>But there she stood, 2 years younger than her brother Fishlegs, than himself, but she was no little girl anymore.<br/>
Thor, she knew exactly, what she wanted – and he knew exactly, what he did not.<br/>
She waited for an answer.</p><p>"Your brother wouldn't appreciate us being a couple." Tuff mentioned and he was mad at himself because of that lame reply.<br/>
His shoulders hung even deeper as usual.<br/>
"Ah well, I made a chart about it. Wait, it must be here, right in my pocket..."<br/>
Tuff sighed, a tiny bit annoyed, as he had to admit. That was so "Ingerman". Charts. Facts and figures. He couldn't do anything with it.</p><p>Marigold reached to her butt – and brought her empty hands again in front of her. "You know, I forgot, I have no pockets. And I don't give a heck about charts. Or my brother's opinion."<br/>
Tuff chuckled. Not so much "Ingerman" at all.<br/>
Marigold looked straight into Tuff's eyes, challenging, exploring.</p><p>He only had this last chance.<br/>
If he remained still, she would know, but not know anything at all and she would be hurt. He had to talk. NOW.</p><p>Marigold had tried to convince Tuff so many times to not supress his feelings. She was stubborn like a donkey. Insisted on him having hidden feelings for her.<br/>
It was obvious, wasn't it? He liked spending time with her. A lot of time.<br/>
And he had been too much a coward, to tell her the truth.</p><p>Feelings.<br/>
Yeah, he had some, of course.<br/>
For his sister. For his mace. His friends. Even Marigold. Good feelings for Marigold.<br/>
He knew, what love was.<br/>
It was a warmth deep inside, a deep and cuddly feeling.<br/>
It was the comforting relieve of a hug, getting rid of distress.<br/>
Being familiar with others, being close and safe with the ones he trusted.</p><p>But no "falling in love".<br/>
He never had and he assumed, he never would, either.<br/>
There was no attraction to others.<br/>
Sure, Tuff could tell a beauty from a scarecrow. He could tell which combination of external characteristics, like hair and eye colour he liked the most. He could recognize a pretty face. But that was pretty much it.</p><p>Tuff took a deep breath.<br/>
Marigold was the first one to talk to about it, ever. Well, besides Ruffnut.<br/>
"I think I don't like people... like this. Falling in love and so on.<br/>
I – I don't feel it. I like hugs. And cuddling. I like being close to you. But I don't want to kiss you. Or touch you... ehm, elsewhere. I really like you!<br/>
I trust you, I adore you, you're one of my best friends and hanging out with you is always fun! And how you handle the sword is... impressing!"</p><p>Tuff puffed out his cheeks and blew the air out. He was kind of fidgety.<br/>
"But, eh, I can't imagine... you know... doing the couple stuff. Smooching and so on.<br/>
My body – I don't like it, for some reason. Not my body, it's quite okay. My body doesn't like getting touched... south. I don't do it", Tuff gestured at his belly and dropped his hands, then he lowered his voice, "I don't even do it myself. It feels weird. I react, uh, mostly every morning..."</p><p>Marigold rose her hand and signed Tuff to not go deeper into detail of this subject.<br/>
Her head felt dizzy. Her stomach felt sick.<br/>
Her crush, her since-childhood, as-long-as-she-could-think-crush just told her that there was nothing that could ever change his mind or feelings.</p><p>She could try as hard as possible to be his ideal counterpart – but he would never be able to love her in return.<br/>
"Don't cry!" she thought with fervor. "That's not mature. Give him a fist bump, say 'cool, anyway, whatever'. Say you will be satisfied with him being your bro, your bud, your best friend. Someone to blow up some stuff with. 
Make him believe it's okay, although it is a lie, a big fat lie and it tears your heart apart.<br/>
You'd rather have him in your life as a friend, than not having him at all.<br/>

But also that isn't true. It would hurt too much and the only thing you can do is avoiding him.<br/>
You must avoid him for a plenty of time. But how? Berk is small, you see each other every day.<br/>
You could go with your oldest brother Taproot.<br/>
You could watch after his kids..."</p><p>Marigold noticed, that she had remained still for too long.<br/>
Tuff watched her carefully, frowning in concern.<br/>
He didn't want to hurt her, he only wanted to be honest.<br/>
Of course he had realized her attempts to flirt with him.<br/>
Small touches, staying close to him, giving him looks.<br/>
He was no fool and he wasn't as dumb as he pretended to be, for sure.<br/>
He had pretended to not notice all that, after all.<br/>
He couldn't give her, what she wanted.</p><p>Tuff felt sorry for his friend and didn't quite know, what to do.<br/>
Comfort her? Hug her? Would that be hurting her more?<br/>
He really wanted to show Marigold, that he cared, she mattered for him.<br/>
But she shook her head, shook off her thoughts and feigned a smile.</p><p>"Nah, It's okay, really, it's fine. Well, eh, I've got... things to do, you know, well, I have to go. Taproot, he wanted to talk to me. And I must talk to him. We could see us later and hang out and do, what we always do, bro stuff. Prank Snotlout. Causing some little explosions and so on. So..." she waved goodbye and felt awkward.</p><p>So did Tuff.<br/>
He had suspected it. But now he knew. And he didn't want to know.<br/>
This friendship was over, at least on stand by, and that hurt him.<br/>
Yes, he loved Marigold. As he loved her brother Fishlegs. As he loved his friends Snotlout and Hiccup. And maybe Astrid, although he was afraid of her. Not as much as he loved his sister, but that was another talk.</p><p>With a lump in his throat he headed back to his hut.<br/>
When Ruffnut saw him enter, she glanced at him with pursed lips.<br/>
Tuff dumped on his bed and let out a muffled sigh, as his face stuck in his pillow.</p><p>"What's the matter bro?" Ruff asked.<br/>
"I fucked it up."<br/>
Ruff understood.<br/>
She sat down by Tuff's side on his bed and softly stroked his back.<br/>
After a while she said: "No, you didn't. You did very well. You're a good friend. She'll get over it. You know what? I love you, butt elf!"</p><p>Tuffnut replied with a snorting laugh. "I love you, too, bride of Grendel!"<br/>
And he knew he absolutely meant what he said.</p>
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